Annual Pepper-Off heats things up

by jmaloni

•Taken from the Aug. 15 Island Dispatch

Fri, Aug 22nd 2014 01:45 pm

The third annual Pepper-Off took place to see who could make the beset stuffed pepper. Participants included, from left: Jimmy Geblein, Colin "Bubba" Thompson (2013 winner), Colleen Olszewski (2014 winner), Mike Geblein and Tom Geblein. (photo by Heath Mazenauer)

by Heath Mazenauer

What started out
three years ago as a combination of Mike Geblein's retirement party and friends
really like to cook peppers so let's have a cook-off has evolved into an annual
event at the Geblein compound.

This year's third
rendition of the Pepper-Off had 17 competitors vying for the coveted Pepper-Off
trophy. The rules are simple: make the best stuffed pepper; hot, mild, does not
matter. Judges may not be contestants, although they may be related and the
winner has to perform a celebratory cartwheel.

The inaugural
Pepper-Off saw Tammy Breeze take home the hardware masterfully created by Paul
Proctor. Year two, the championship went to Bubba Thompson. This year, Colleen
Olszewski hoisted the trophy thanks to her banana pepper creation she dubbed
"pepp-her-oni." Being quite with child, Olszewski's cartwheel responsibility
fell to her husband, Jake, who survived, barely.